


Reaching For You

by hope27



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-09
Updated: 2013-07-09
Packaged: 2017-12-18 04:44:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/875760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hope27/pseuds/hope27
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver comes back from a bad night out as the Hood, and when Felicity refuses to leave him alone, the lines of their friendship are tested. (originally posted to tumblr)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reaching For You

**Author's Note:**

> This fic took on a life of it’s own. In my head, this was just supposed to be Oliver and Felicity building their trust and friendship…and Olicity just decided to do something else. Figures. Can’t keep a good ship down. ;)
> 
> The self defense moves are partly from personal experience with some training and partially my imagination so if they aren’t perfect…I’m sorry. 
> 
> I love to hear feedback so please leave me some! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters belong to DC Comics and the CW Network. No copyright infringement is intended.

Oliver didn’t say much to Felicity that night before he went out to pay a visit one of the people on his list. She came in as usual after she got off work, plopped down on her chair in front of the computers and went to work running scans and looking up intel on the person of interest for the evening. After relaying what she found, Oliver grabbed his bow and headed out, asking Diggle to check on the club upstairs and to let Tommy know he would be back soon.

He glanced at her and gave her a brief smile and nod before bounding up the stairs and leaving the Foundry.

Diggle looked at her after he left, eyebrows raised in question, but Felicity just shrugged. There was nothing to tell. 

It was almost eleven before Oliver re-entered the Foundry, this time donned in his suit and tie - not the green leather he’d left in. Felicity wrinkled her brow in confusion as he passed her, slamming his pack filled with his gear onto a nearby table causing her to jump.

He apparently didn't realized she was still there because he spun around on his heels at the squeak from her chair, one hand instinctively reaching for his bow.

"Woah," she said, raising her hands in surprise. "Easy. Just me."

Oliver’s shoulders sagged and he let out a long breath. "Felicity. What are you still doing here?" 

"I was running a scan of our backup drives and found a few problems I wanted to fix before I left," She quickly explained pointing absentmindedly at the computers behind her. "I’m almost done."

"Where’s Diggle?" he asked gruffly, eyes searching the place before returning to her face.

"Carly called. She had a flat tire so he went to help her. I told him I would be fine. Especially since we now have hundreds of people right above us each night. It’s not like I’m in this warehouse all by myself anymore. Besides, sometimes, I feel safer here than I do in my own apartment, not that I want to live here, of course," she stated, her voice fading off as she realized she was once again rambling. "And I should get back to work…"

She spun in her chair and watched as the codes flew across the screen, trying to ignore the fact that she could see Oliver was bothered by something. However after months of working with him she knew better than to ask when he was in this mood. 

It became even more clear that something was troubling the resident vigilante when he appeared in front of her on the training mats, shirt discarded and dress pants replaced by a pair of worn sweats. Grabbing a stick (she knew they were called something else but she never could remember the name), he began mercilessly beating the large metal pole set up on one side of the training area. With each hit, his movements became more precise. The way he moved reminded Felicity of a wild animal, graceful and fluid yet deadly. The way he welded the stick as a weapon was awe inspiring and a little scary. But it wasn’t just his weapons - his bow and arrow or anything he could pick up - that you had to worry about when fighting Oliver Queen, it was that his entire body could be a weapon of it’s own. He had honed his body to be move in ways Felicity had never seen, and when he donned the green leather and hood, he became that weapon. 

Despite all of that, she was slowly realizing that under that fearful veneer was a man who was trying to find redemption - to right wrongs he had not even committed. It was something that she had spent many sleepless nights thinking about, and she was coming to the realization that she was intrigued by him. In some ways, she even admired him for what he was trying to do, even if she never would completely agree with his methods.

She didn’t realize she was staring until the sound of him clearing his throat shook her out of her reverie. With a little jump, she furiously began typing away at the computer, her cheeks burning in embarrassment. She could feel his gaze lingering but refused to meet his gaze.

"It’s late Felicity. You should go home." 

She finally managed to look up at him, cocking her head to the side. "Are you?"

He shook his head, and she saw the way his hands balled into fists. He was still angry about something. “I’m going to stay awhile. Make sure the club closes down okay and get in some more training."

"Okay then," she replied, and returned to work.

"Felicity," she heard him groan, and pushed her glasses up onto her nose, looking at him expectantly. "Go home."

She blinked, ignoring his command. He did this all the time. Whenever he was upset about something, he would block everyone and everything out and train, sometimes for the entire night. His mood would turned sour and anything and everything around him got the brunt of that anger.

"You know," she began hesitantly, running her fingers over the keyboard, something familiar under her fingertips giving her courage. “You’re not on an island anymore, Oliver. You don’t have to do everything alone."

She watched as the muscles in his jaw tensed, his eyes narrowing slightly. 

Swallowing, she raised her chin, letting him know she wasn’t going to back down. Oliver used that technique too often, but Felicity knew him better now. She’d seen the softer side of Oliver Queen - regardless of how well he tried to hide it deep inside him. She couldn’t forget the look on his face when he showed up at her apartment one night, defeated after McKenna had been shot or the fear in his voice when he’d touched her face after finding her tied up in her office. He’d shown too much of the real Oliver Queen to let her be fooled by his intimidating presence. (Not that she wasn’t ever intimidated by him - he could have that effect when he wanted to.) But Felicity could see this facade for what it was - a way to push her and everyone else away when he didn’t want to deal with his emotions. 

It wasn’t going to work this time. She was tired of it.

She held his gaze for several moments, neither one willing to end their battle of wills. So she was surprised when he spoke, his gaze softening, as he spoke. "I wasn’t alone."

Felicity took in a ragged breath, but betrayed none of her shock that he had actually opened up to her. His confession was not news to her. "I know," she replied softly.

Oliver raised his eyebrows, shocked by her knowledge of a fact that he had never shared with her. Felicity just rolled her eyes, “I’ve seen your scars, Oliver. I know I’m not a doctor, but I know that those aren’t all self-inflicted wounds. I know the scars of torture when I see them."

His eyes darkened and she bit down on her bottom lip, wondering if she had said too much. His time on the island was something he never talked about, and she never wanted to push him despite her curiosity. Those memories were his demons to fight, but sometimes you couldn’t do it alone.

"You constantly surprise me, Felicity," he remarked softly, shaking his head.

She looked down noticing the chips in her fingernail polish for the first time that day. "I’m not trying to surprise you," she mumbled unsure whether to take that as a compliment or not.

"It’s not a bad thing," he answered, as if hearing her mental question.

She smiled then, her face lighting up, and he returned the gesture.

Just when she thought he was going to go back to training, he walked towards her, opening his mouth and closing it before finally getting words out. "Tommy and I had a fight."

Her brow crinkled before realizing he was doing as she asked; opening up. "Oh. I’m sorry. He’s still not taking the whole vigilante thing well?"

Oliver sighed, planting his palms against the table where the computer monitors sat. "Nope."

She nodded, shrugging, “I’m sure he’ll come around. You just have to give him time. It’s a lot to take in…"

"You seemed to take to it pretty quickly," Oliver prodded, and she could see the question in his eyes as if he’d been wanting to ask her this questions for awhile.

She laughed then, “Well, your cover stories sucked. I knew something was up the second you handed me a bullet-ridden laptop. I just didn’t know it was…this." She spun around in her chair pointing to the whole place, and when she stopped Oliver had rounded the table and was leaning against it right next to her.

He was close enough she could smell his cologne mixed with perspiration, and the smell was a heady one, causing her to scoot her chair back a few inches. Trying not to stare directly at his naked chest, she swallowed and glanced up at his face as he continued. "Why does everyone keep telling me I’m a horrible liar?"

"Because you are." Her reply was automatic and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand, but realized Oliver’s mood had changed for the better because his eyes twinkled with laughter. "At least, to those people who want to see it."

"Well, I guess it’s a good thing I know how to use a bow and arrow, then." He chuckled wryly before holding a hand out to her.

She regarded it questioningly, one eyebrow cocked as she glanced from him to his outstretched hand.

"Train with me," he simply explained, and her mouth fell open.

"Wh..what?" she asked hesitantly, blinking rapidly. Sure, she had done a few basic training sessions with Diggle but this was the first time Oliver had ever approached her about it. As good as Diggle was, Oliver was on another level. She had seen the way he and Diggle sparred. She was not prepared for that.

"You and me. Train." He stated slowly, lips curved upwards in the start of a smile.

Felicity shook her head and rolled back in her chair. "Oh no. I’m not in the mood to get my ass kicked tonight, thank you."

Oliver crossed his arms, looking at her with concern, “Do you really think I would do that to you?"

She regarded him warily. "I’ve seen you and Diggle train…"

He leveled her with a look that said she was being ridiculous, but in her mind she was preserving her ability to walk tomorrow. The workout Diggle had put her through had left so sore that she could barely get up the stairs to apartment that night. Jillian Michaels had nothing on these two.

"It’ll be basic, Felicity. Just you showing me what you know. Besides, after what happened with Helena, I want you to be better trained to defend yourself." He explained calmly, once again offering her his hand. "Promise."

Felicity sighed, knowing she was going to give in. Placing her hand in his, he pulled her up in one fluid move and guided her in the direction of the training area. 

She frowned looking down at her skirt and heels, and pulled to a stop causing Oliver to jerk backwards at her sudden decision. “I’m not training in these clothes. I just bought these."

This time Oliver did laugh, shooing her away to go change. As she did, she realized that a part of her was actually very excited to train with Oliver. Learning how to defend herself had skyrocketed to the top of her list of things to do after her run in with Oliver’s crazy ex-girlfriend a few months ago. Her few sessions with Diggle had helped but he had been spending most of his free time with Carly lately, which left little time to train her. Not that she minded, of course. It was nice to see him happy, and the few times she’d met Carly, she really liked her. 

As much as training with Oliver is something she has desired, she has also held a fair amount of trepidation about it. She already knew that crush upon first meeting him had only grown, and while she’d learned things she didn’t like about Oliver, she’d also learned so much more that she did like. He had become her friend; someone she knew she could count on and trust, and that relationship was very new. She didn’t want to have anything awkward - like her accidentally kissing him - ruin it.

Squashing her worries down, she dropped her work clothes in her bag and approached Oliver in the training area, her sweat pants and workout tank leaving her slightly chilled. The Foundry was in a basement after all. Most of the heat that was generated came from the computers or Oliver and Diggle as they worked out.

Rubbing her arms, she grasped them defensively when Oliver turned around. His eyes ran over her, from her head to her feet and she couldn’t stop the heat that rose from her neck.

Walking over to her, he put his warm, rough hands on her shoulders, kneading the muscles between his strong fingers, “First off, relax."

His tone wasn’t harsh, but it wasn’t soft either. He wasn’t making fun of her, he was just telling her what she needed to do in full instructor-mode, and Felicity was thankful for that.

"Now," he stated as he backed away after she let her arms dangle at her sides and the tension flow out of her shoulders, “What do you know about self-defense?"

"Um…SING?" She shrugged her shoulders, planting her feet firmly on the mat beneath them.

Oliver frowned and so she quickly explained, “Solar plex, instep, nose, groin…" She recited them off just as Sandra Bullock did in the movie.

"Finally, a movie reference I get," he grinned, and she couldn’t help but smile as well. "Okay, those are all definitely places of weakness that you can attack. Anything else?"

"I took a self-defense class a few years ago. Young single girl in the city…and not the safest one…it seemed like the smart thing to do. Although, for some reason, the biggest thing I took away from that class is that women tend to remember the eye color of their attacker more than anything else. Which was always interesting to me. But I guess when you came in, I did notice your eyes," she paused, realizing what she had just admitted and tried to back track, “Not that I only notice your eyes. I mean, there are other things to notice…"

She scrunched her eyes up, willing herself to disappear as she realized she was just making it worse. "And I’m going to stop talking in three, two, one…"

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes to find Oliver looking at her expectantly. But he wasn’t laughing or teasing her, just waiting for her to finish. It was one of the things about Oliver that she was so very grateful for; he never embarrassed her further. He just let her finish rambling and then continued their conversation.

"Okay, so show me what you know," he said, coming straight at her and grabbing her wrists, twisting them up and holding her with her back pressed up against his chest, her arms criss-crossed in front of her. 

While her breathing had increased, the rest of her remained calm, as if her body realized that it was Oliver and that he wouldn’t hurt her. Trust. It was all about trust.

Drawing on little bit of knowledge she could remember, she braced her feet and twisted her wrists hard, using her elbows to push into his abdomen, steadying herself with her legs as she burst forward. Realizing she had gotten free, she hopped up and down a few times, arms raised above her head before remembering herself. Schooling her features, she turned to face Oliver again who was just studying her intently.

"Not bad," he told her as he approached her again, this time not attacking, just resting his hands on her hips, “You used your legs and hips. That’s where your strength is going to come from. You usually can’t beat a man’s upper body strength, but women have more strength here," and he squeezed her hips causing her to jump slightly and a spark of heat to race through her. 

Felicity blinked furiously, struggling to keep her emotions in check. "Okay," she nodded, face completely neutral, or at least, she hoped it was.

The next hour was spent the same way. Oliver would “attack" her in some different way and she would try to get away. If she got away, they discussed what she had done right. If she couldn’t, they worked through what she could do to free or defend herself. All along Oliver taught her simple maneuvers that could help her. She was surprised at how easily they worked together each giving and taking what the other offered. After she got over the initial shock of having his half-naked body pressed up against her, she began to focus more on her moves and learning what he was teaching than on his presence.

However, that all changed when they ended up on the floor, Oliver on top of her, his arms holding hers above her head as he straddled her. She gasped at the heat of him that she could feel through her thin workout top, and tried to block out the images that this position caused to run through her mind. His bare chest was pressed up against hers and she closed her eyes, trying to push all the sensations that were flooding her brain away and focus instead of the feel of the cold mat at her back.

It was working until he said her name, his voice coming from directly in front of her face, and she opened her eyes to find him staring back at her, inches away.

"You’re not fighting me off," he commented, but she swore she could see a smile tugging at his smug lips. Groaning internally, she made a note to change the code on the alarm system on him. He knew exactly the effect he was having on her.

"Well, you’re kind of big," she blurted out, and immediately her face reddened, eyes opening wide as the double meaning of her words struck her hard.

This time he did smile, and she could tell he wanted to do more. But when Oliver was focused, it was hard to get him distracted for long.

"Use your hips," he commanded sharply, almost too harshly. And she suddenly realized he was effected by this too, he was just better at hiding it then her. "If someone is holding you like this, they are leaving your strongest muscles open. Kick your legs up and wrap them around my neck and shoulders and use your lower body strength to pull me off. Even if you can’t get me off completely…" he paused then, grimacing as she began to move under him, and her cheeks flamed even more at his words. “You should still be able to move me enough that you can get away," he ground out, his eyes darkening with something that Felicity would later realize as desire.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, desperately trying to focus on the task at hand and not the attractive man above her. After a moment, she opened her eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling, and using her hips, thrust her legs forward, wrapping them around Oliver’s neck and twisted, moving her body over at the same time. 

The next thing Felicity knew she was lying on the mat, suddenly cold from the lack of someone on top of her. Oliver was beside her, head propped up on one hand as he gazed down at her.

"Nice job, Ms. Smoak."

Felicity rolled her eyes, a wave of tiredness overtaking her entire body. She suddenly realized just how exhausted she felt. All she wanted in that moment was a hot shower and her warm bed. "Good, then it’s time to sleep," she mumbled softly, closing her eyes.

The brush of something against her arm caused her eyes to flutter open and she saw that Oliver had scooted closer. "No. Not here."

"Why not," she whined like a three year old. "It’s comfortable enough."

Oliver laughed. "Because then I’d have my IT girl asleep on my training mat and when I should have her in her bed."

Felicity’s eyes shot open at that, wondering when they had started talking in innuendos or if it was just her mind putting everything he said into a sexual connotation. One look at Oliver told her he hadn’t realized how his statement sounded until it came out of his mouth. 

He groaned, his head sinking down to the mat. She was sure she was going to turn redder than a tomato, but instead, a giggle escaped her lips. And soon she couldn’t stop laughing. Maybe it was her way to ease some of the sexual tension that was now at a fever pitch in her body. 

Oliver stared at her for a moment, smile widening on his own face before he joined her in a full out laugh. 

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen you laugh this hard," Oliver commented after a few minutes, easily regaining his breath.

Felicity, on the other hand, gulped in air, little giggles continuing to fall from her lips as she fought to reply, “It’s just nice…to not be the one putting…my foot in my mouth…"

She looked over at him when he didn’t reply and found his gaze suddenly very serious. The darkening of his eyes quieted her laughter, and the heat that had begun to dissipate rushed back through her body pooling in that place deep inside her belly.

"You can’t look at me like that," she suddenly said, panicking at the fact that he was actually staring at her like he wanted her.

She started to stand up, but Oliver grabbed her wrist, halting her movements. "Like what?" he asked softly, dark blue eyes peircing her with such longing that she could feel her defenses crumbling.

Looking around and realizing she didn’t really want to leave, she sank back down to the mat, “Like…like you actually want me…" She stammered, hating that she sounded so fragile in that moment. Years of painful memories rose to the forefront of her mind, taunting her from the closet she’d shoved them in long ago.

It was a mere whisper on her lips but he heard her, she knew by the look that crossed his face. Confusion and then something undecipherable but intense.

"You think I don’t want you?" Oliver asked, his voice lower than she’d ever heard it, rough with emotion that left her wanting to hear her name spoken with that same roughness.

Tears sprung to her eyes. This was not how she saw this going. She didn’t want to go down this path again.

She’d been here before - with a guy she really liked, someone who she never thought would be interested in a girl like her, and it turned out he wasn't; he just wanted her computer skills and was willing to use his charm to get it. It couldn’t happen again. Especially not with Oliver. She couldn’t stand that…

"Oliver, please," she whispered tearfully, willing the tears not to fall, unsure of what exactly she was asking of him.

The plea was barely out of her mouth before his lips were on hers, touching hers gently, hesitantly before he pulled back. He watched her, waiting to see if she would shove him away. 

She didn’t.

It was all the answer he needed. The next thing she knew, he was kissing her again, pulling her beneath his body, the weight of him familiar to her now, and so much of what she craved. She groaned as his hands slid into her hair and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth and dueling with hers. Her hands roamed down his broad shoulders and arms feeling the sinew of muscle beneath the skin. She pressed, digging her fingers against the warmth of his skin, urging him closer. She paused as she found the scar on his shoulder, tracing it tentatively as he continued to kiss her, pulling her bottom lip into his mouth and sucking on it. Her fingers traced the map of scars on his back as he trailed kisses down her throat and to her collarbone, nipping and sucking, causing her to gasp and tighten her hold of him.

"Oliver," she moaned softly, and her voice brought them both back to the present, his lips stilling against her chest. He breathed out a puff of breath and placed a soft kiss against the delicate skin of her shoulder before lifting his head to look up at her. Her eyelids fluttered open and she was surprised to hear him groan as he gazed at her. Shifting himself up, he placed a chaste kiss against her lips before resting his forehead on hers. 

"You can’t think I don’t want you now," he breathed. 

She didn’t have any words at that moment, so she answered with a simple shake of her head. He kissed her again and she could feel the smile on his lips, and realized that she was smiling too.


End file.
